SIXTEEN rural pubs were targeted by police in a drugs operation at the weekend.

Twenty police officers arrived unannounced in pubs across the area with a passive police drugs dog on Friday and Saturday night to search customers and the premises for illegal drugs. Only one arrest was made for cocaine possession and another for a public order offence after customers became upset at the search. Both incidents occurred in Frodsham.

The Sportsmans Arms, The Letters Inn and the Bear and Ragged Staff in Tattenhall were searched as was The Crown, The Swan Hotel and The Foresters Arms in Tarporley. The Red Lion in Tarvin, The Cock o’ Barton in Barton and The Railway Inn, The Bears Paw, The Golden Lion, the Amore Bar, The Wine Bar, The Red Lion, Cholmondeley Arms and The Queen's Head were searched in Frodsham and Helsby.

The officers used a passive sniffer dog on each of the premises to search for illegal drugs.

Sgt Rupert Murray, who led the operation, said: “We visited pubs in each of the villages. We arrived unannounced and talked to the landlords explaining what we were doing and what the police operation was all about. Then we took the dog around the pub to see if he could find any illegal substances. We had a very positive response from landlords who were happy to have us on the premises and checking their customers.”

Sgt Murray added: “ It was a very successful exercise we gained a lot of intelligence and it was good to have a greater presence in the area.”

Simon Barlow, manager of the Swan, Tarporley said: “I was shocked the police turned up. If we had a problem with drugs or called them before I could have understood it. Particularly because we are a hotel, and people are staying here, they must wonder what kind of place they have come to.”

Lenn Verwoerd manager of The Red Lion, Tarvin, said: “We have a small village pub and we don’t want drugs.”

Terry Lumb from the Sportmans Arms, in Tattenhall said: “It was good to have the police visibility in the village, because we just don’t get it out here. What I think added more weight to the exercise was the police dog.”

Matthew Murphy, manager of the Cock o’ Barton in Barton, Malpas, said: “Obviously I would prefer it if they didn’t come in, but that is the world we live in. I think most customers were just a little bemused. Most of them were eating and the police walked around with the dog.

“I was concerned that customers who do not know us may think we have a drugs problem.”